Seattle Writer

If you look around there is a trend in branding that is seems to be gaining speed.  Its a minimalist, typography based design aesthetic.  It is starting to be overdone and used just to be new, I think it will become very dated quickly like a 1970’s leisure suite. Microsoft has moved this way, eBay has moved this way and now Weight Watchers has moved this way. I have to say I am not a fan of many of these changes.

Minimalist Design That Works (Mostly)

I will be returning to Microsoft this week, so I will try to be respectful.  I like the new corporate logo.  It moves to a clean lest distinctive typeface, but adds a color image that is based on the old Windows logo that has become a part of Microsoft identity.  Sometimes they don’t use the color icon, when they want to emphasize one of their other brands like X-Box or Office.  Logo wise it works mostly.  Part of the reason for this is it is clean and the Microsoft name is in itself unique.

However, I have noticed that the product boxes on some of their hardware has gone very minimalist.  I think this is a mistake.   The new Microsoft Wireless 3000 Keyboard is a white box with simple red type of the model name and the icon less gray Microsoft logo down in the corner.  It now looks like the cheap no-brand hardware you see on the shelf at cheap discount stores.

The minimalist design doesn’t communicate “better made”, “more effort” or “distinctive.”  It fits Microsoft’s move to a minimalist branding, but it doesn’t take into account the the outside competition, it looks like a knock-off brand now.  That is too bad.  I prefer either Microsoft of Logitech devices, but a casual shopper will not get a feeling of “big professional company” from the over simplified keyboard boxes.

eBay has done some thing similar.  They have taken some of the personality out of the logo, but at least they were smart and retain enough of the color identity that while it feels like they became less fun and more corporate, it is still eBay.

I think my first new feeling was “Macy’s” when I saw it.  It doesn’t make me like eBay more or trust them more, but it still reminded me of who they are and the years I have with them as a customer.  Sometimes good, sometimes bad.

New Branding Gone Terribly Wrong: Weight Watchers in 2013

What prompted today’s post was a Jan 1st decision to go back on Weight Watchers.  I am seriously overweight and have been most of my life.  I am lucky to be relatively healthy while carrying over 300lbs.  But as I near the age of 50 I know that luck will end, I need to get healthy so I can enjoy another 30-40 years that my family genes say I can have if I want.  So with hope for a better future I went to WeightWatchers.com.

… the Holy Grail of increased revenue was “get more men.”   So they looked to take the “spring” and the “motion” from the logo.  What is more masculine that block letters and gray?  A Prison?

I was dismayed to log on to the Weight Watchers site and see that they have gotten talked into a large branding change.  I have seen a lot of logo changes and even name changes.  There are times this makes sense and times when it is just because management doesn’t have clue about how to make a product or service sell better and does a brand change.  This is much like getting a new hair cut or car after a bad relationship.  Actually the worst time to make a change in many cases, it puts the focus on the wrong thing.

In my opinion Weight Watchers had a very good logo and brand.  Lets face it the idea of dieting can be a downer.  Even a program like Weight Watchers that offers a lot of choice and freedom still can feel like you are giving up something.  Their logo HAD nice spring colors which subconsciously communicated “Spring” a time for hope and renewal.  It has some motion in the swooshes at the front.  It was a positive and very distinctive logo.

Someone at Weight Watchers has made a terrible mistake.  I suspect that they are still dealing with the issue that if you go to the meetings etc. there are not many men.  Someone probably told them the logo was too feminine.  Big mistake…  They are competing in a very cluttered landscape, where just because of cultural pressures, women are always going to be more interested in issues or weight and appearance AND they are going to gravitate towards communal experiences like meetings.

But instead it appears someone decided the Holy Grail of increased revenue was “get more men.”   So they looked to take the “spring” and the “motion” from the logo.  What is more masculine than block letters and gray?  A Prison?

I am a guy, I am making a commitment (again…) towards my health and I logged on January 1st to what is now a very DARK and emotionally depressing site.  Not only does this not inspire me, I think it will make the brand less attractive to their core market, women.    New branding doesn’t sell men on weight-loss, identity as being “strong,” “attractive” or “respected” in messaging will do a lot more.

Weight Watchers… has made a tragic branding mistake.  Not only is the new logo full of negative, dark design.. It is so indistinct that it hides the company identity.   Microsoft and eBay have their own words for names.  Weight Watchers has two dictionary words that need design around the words to make them special.  They have lost that and they have lost many years of brand identity.

I suspect this change may be so bad it will actually create a negative effect on the spreadsheet.  The new logo is emotionally negative, it will affect new customer choices between them and Jenny Craig or Nurti-System etc.  It hit me so hard when I logged on that I don’t like logging on to the system.. If they spend the money to re-brand all their meeting location, it will be a less friendly place to visit.

This is to branding, what New Coke was to product improvement.  It is not just a wasted change, it may actually work against what is a very good program and their ability to offer hope to those of us that have weight issues.

UPDATE:

They BROKE and ruined a good mobile site.  I have Windows Phone.. which I like.  But after a year, they still don’t have a full app for Windows Phone and now as part of this terrible 2013 update. Weight Watchers.. has rendered the mobile tracking site unusable!!!! I am about to cancel the membership over his incompetent update.  I will run it manuually.. I guess.  Seriously bad management all around.  If they have stock, I would be selling.